Automatic grain-weigher



(ModeL) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

G. J. GIBBONS.

AUTOMATIC GRAIN WEIGHER.

No. 324,373. Patehted Aug. 18, 1885.

Lilhogmphur. Washington. n c.

. (ModeL) 2 SheetsSheet 2. G. J. GIBBONS.

AUTOMATIC GRAIN WEIGHER.

No. 324,873. Patented Aug. 18, 1885.

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UNITED STATES PATENT 'OEEICE.

GABRIEL J. GIBBONS, OF HAVEN, KANSAS.

AUTOMATIC GRAIN-WEIGHER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 324,373, dated August 18, 1885.

Application filed March 23, 1885. (Model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, GABRIEL J. GIBBONS, a citizen of the United States, residing in Haven Township, in the county of Reno and State of Kansas, have invented certain new and use ful Improvements in Automatic Grain-\Veiglr ers, of which the following is a description.

My invention relates to a device for automatically weighing grain, corn, &c., as it is fed from the thrashing-machine or sheller; and it consists in the improved construction and combinations of parts, hereinafter fully described, and pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improvement. Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the same, and Fig. 3 is a horizontal section.

In the accompanying drawings, in which like letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures, A represents supporting-standards, which are connected and braced at their lower ends by cross-bars a. At the upper end of the supporting-standards A is arranged a hopper, B, having an inclined bottom, said hopper being adapted to be connected directly with the thrashing-machine or sheller, and weigh and register the grain as it is fed therefrom. In the bottom of the hopper is formed an opening, I), and arranged below said opening b is a box or casing, G which is provided with a hinged bottom, D. The supportirig-standards A are connected on one side by side strips, (1, between which is journaled a rock shaft, E, upon which is mounted a scale-beam, F, which is graduated, as shown. Upon the inner end of the scalebeam F is suspended a box or casing, G, which is adapted to receive the grain as it is delivered from the box or casing O. This box or casing G may be of any suitable material, and is provided at its upper end with a crossbar, H, by means of which the scalebeam F and said box or casing are connected by a link, I.

Extending outwardly from the sides of the frame are rods J, which are connected by a slotted plate, K, in the slot of which plate the end of the scale-beam F works. Upon the scalebeam F is mounted a sliding weight, L, which may be clamped at any desired point upon the scale {beam F by means of a setscrew, 6. It will thus be seen that said weight may be moved upon the scalebeam F to regulate the amount of grain necessary to overcome the weight. XVhen the weight of the grain overcomes the weighted bar, said box or casing in which the grain is contained drops the length of the elongated slot, and as soon as the grain is removed from the box or casing r the weight of said bar overcomes the weight of the casing and drops to the lower end of the slot, thus raising the box or casing.

The box or casing G is provided with a hinged bottom, G, and upon the under side of said hinged bottom is secured rod G one end of which is slightly extended to form a catch, f. It will be seen, however, that said catch might be separate from said rod. Secured to the side of the box or casing G is a latch, G, of spring metal, with which the catch G is adapted to engage, and thus hold the bottom in position. The end of the latch G is beveled, and when the weight of the casing overcomes that of the scale-beam F the said casing is lowered, causing the latch G to strike against a bracket, G, which releases thelatch from the catch and allows the bottom to drop to discharge the grain. The other end of the rod G is bent outwardly, and is connected with the hinged door of the box or casing O by a rod, a", so that when the door of casing G is open the door of easing G will be closed and held in such position to retain the grain therein and prevent it from falling into casing G until said casing has discharged its contents, the weight of the grain escaping from casing G serving to hold its hinged bottom open and the bottom of easing G closed through the agency of the connecting-rod.

For returning the hinged bottom of the easing G to its normal or closed position, I have provided a spiral spring, G which connects with the outer end of rod G and with an arm, G extending downwardly below said casing G. It will thus be seen that when the grain has all escaped from the casing said spring will return the bottom to a closed position, and that the weight L will raise the casing G and the catch will engage with the latch. The grain or corn in casing G will then fall into casing G until there is enough to overcome scale-beam F.

The sliding weight upon the scale-beam F may be regulated as to the number of pounds to the bushel, and for registering the number of bushels I have provided on one end of the rock-shaft an arm, L, having a hooked arm, L, pivoted to its outer end.

K represents a wheel, which is provided with a circumferential series of notches or teethsay one hundred. The hooked end of arm L is adapted to engage said teeth, and is held in engagement with the same by means of a flat spring, L", bearing against the outer side of said arm.

H represents a spring which is adapted to engage the teeth of the wheel K to prevent its backward movement when the hooked arm L is raised to engage the next adjacent notch. The notches are numbered consecutively from one to a hundred, and when the casing G drops it raises the rear end of arm F and slightly turns the rock-shaft, which causes the arm L to raise and engage the next adjacent notch, so that when the casing is raised by arm F the arm L is lowered by the partial turning of the rock-shaft, and the wheel K is turned one notch, which representsa bushel. It will thus be seen that if notch N0. 1 is turned to engage the arm L' and grain is weighed, the dili'erence between 1 and the notch with which arm L is in engagement shows at a glance the number of bushels of grain that have passed through the casing G.

N represents a wheel for registering the grain by the hundred bushels. This wheel is provided with a series of teeth, h, which are adapted to be engaged by a pin, a, projecting inwardly from wheel K. Thus every time the wheel K makes a revolution the wheel N is turned by pin 2' one notch, representing one hundred bushels.

To hold the wheel N from turning more than one notch at a time, I provide a flat spring, 0, and provide wheel N with a squared portion or shoulder for every notch. By the time the pin 1' has turned wheel N one notch it will leave said notch, and thus said wheel will remain stationary until wheel K has made another revolution.

By the construction above described it will be seen that the grain as it comes from the thrashingmachine is automatically weighed, and the number of bushels delivered registered. The above-described machine is simple in its construction, and thoroughly certain and positive in its operation.

Having thus described my invention, I claim- 1. The combination, with a frame, of a casing, 0, arranged near the upper end thereof, a box, G, arranged below said casing, said box and easing having hinged bottoms, a rockshaft journaled in the frame, a scale-beam secured to the rock-shaft, the box G being sus pended from the inner end of said scale-beam, a sliding weight on the scale-beam, a rod extending outwardly from the bottom of the lower casing, a rod connecting said arm with the bottom of the upper casing, catch devices on the bottom of the box G, the arm G", and the spiral spring G arranged and operating for the purpose setforth.

2. The combination, with the casings having the hinged bottoms, and arranged one below the other, the lower casing being suspended i'rom a weighted scale-beam supported upon a rock-shaft, of an arm extending outwardly from the bottom of the lower casing, a rod connecting said arm with the bot-tom of the upper casing, catch devices on the bottom of the lower casing, and a spring for returning the bottom of the lower casing to a closed position, and simultaneously opening the drop of the upper easing when the grain has been removed, as set forth.

3. The combination, with a frame, of a rockshaft carrying a weighted scale-beam, from which is suspended a box or casing, a toothed wheel, an arm, I, rigidly connected with the rock-shaft, a hooked arm, L, pivoted to arm L and engaging the teeth of the ratchet-wheel, a spring bearing against the outer side of arm L, the spring M, for preventing the backward movement of the ratchet wheel, the notched wheelN, having squared portions, a spring bearing against the same, and a pin projecting from wheel K to engage wheel N, as set forth.

GABRIEL J. GIBBONS.

lVitnesses:

G. V. RIoKsEcKER, FRANCIS R. OI-IRISMAN, EDWARD H. RIcKsncKER. 

